1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ at Colos'sae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which you have for all the saints,5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing--so among yourselves, from the day you heard and understood the grace of God in truth,7 as you learned it from Ep'aphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.9 And so, from the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,10 to lead a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy,12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.13 He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.15 He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation;16 for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities--all things were created through him and for him.17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent.19 For in him all the fulness of God was pleased to dwell,20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.21 And you, who once were estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him,23 provided that you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,25 of which I became a minister according to the divine office which was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known,26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now made manifest to his saints.27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.28 Him we proclaim, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man mature in Christ.29 For this I toil, striving with all the energy which he mightily inspires within me.
1 παυλος αποστολος ιησου χριστου δια θεληματος θεου και τιμοθεος ο αδελφος2 τοις εν {VAR1: κολασσαις } {VAR2: κολοσσαις } αγιοις και πιστοις αδελφοις εν χριστω χαρις υμιν και ειρηνη απο θεου πατρος ημων και κυριου ιησου χριστου3 ευχαριστουμεν τω θεω και πατρι του κυριου ημων ιησου χριστου παντοτε περι υμων προσευχομενοι4 ακουσαντες την πιστιν υμων εν χριστω ιησου και την αγαπην την εις παντας τους αγιους5 δια την ελπιδα την αποκειμενην υμιν εν τοις ουρανοις ην προηκουσατε εν τω λογω της αληθειας του ευαγγελιου6 του παροντος εις υμας καθως και εν παντι τω κοσμω και εστιν καρποφορουμενον καθως και εν υμιν αφ ης ημερας ηκουσατε και επεγνωτε την χαριν του θεου εν αληθεια7 καθως και εμαθετε απο επαφρα του αγαπητου συνδουλου ημων ος εστιν πιστος υπερ υμων διακονος του χριστου8 ο και δηλωσας ημιν την υμων αγαπην εν πνευματι9 δια τουτο και ημεις αφ ης ημερας ηκουσαμεν ου παυομεθα υπερ υμων προσευχομενοι και αιτουμενοι ινα πληρωθητε την επιγνωσιν του θεληματος αυτου εν παση σοφια και συνεσει πνευματικη10 περιπατησαι υμας αξιως του κυριου εις πασαν αρεσκειαν εν παντι εργω αγαθω καρποφορουντες και αυξανομενοι εις την επιγνωσιν του θεου11 εν παση δυναμει δυναμουμενοι κατα το κρατος της δοξης αυτου εις πασαν υπομονην και μακροθυμιαν μετα χαρας12 ευχαριστουντες τω πατρι τω ικανωσαντι ημας εις την μεριδα του κληρου των αγιων εν τω φωτι13 ος ερρυσατο ημας εκ της εξουσιας του σκοτους και μετεστησεν εις την βασιλειαν του υιου της αγαπης αυτου14 εν ω εχομεν την απολυτρωσιν δια του αιματος αυτου την αφεσιν των αμαρτιων15 ος εστιν εικων του θεου του αορατου πρωτοτοκος πασης κτισεως16 οτι εν αυτω εκτισθη τα παντα τα εν τοις ουρανοις και τα επι της γης τα ορατα και τα αορατα ειτε θρονοι ειτε κυριοτητες ειτε αρχαι ειτε εξουσιαι τα παντα δι αυτου και εις αυτον εκτισται17 και αυτος εστιν προ παντων και τα παντα εν αυτω συνεστηκεν18 και αυτος εστιν η κεφαλη του σωματος της εκκλησιας ος εστιν αρχη πρωτοτοκος εκ των νεκρων ινα γενηται εν πασιν αυτος πρωτευων19 οτι εν αυτω ευδοκησεν παν το πληρωμα κατοικησαι20 και δι αυτου αποκαταλλαξαι τα παντα εις αυτον ειρηνοποιησας δια του αιματος του σταυρου αυτου δι αυτου ειτε τα επι της γης ειτε τα εν τοις ουρανοις21 και υμας ποτε οντας απηλλοτριωμενους και εχθρους τη διανοια εν τοις εργοις τοις πονηροις νυνι δε αποκατηλλαξεν22 εν τω σωματι της σαρκος αυτου δια του θανατου παραστησαι υμας αγιους και αμωμους και ανεγκλητους κατενωπιον αυτου23 ειγε επιμενετε τη πιστει τεθεμελιωμενοι και εδραιοι και μη μετακινουμενοι απο της ελπιδος του ευαγγελιου ου ηκουσατε του κηρυχθεντος εν παση τη κτισει τη υπο τον ουρανον ου εγενομην εγω παυλος διακονος24 {VAR2: ος } νυν χαιρω εν τοις παθημασιν μου υπερ υμων και ανταναπληρω τα υστερηματα των θλιψεων του χριστου εν τη σαρκι μου υπερ του σωματος αυτου ο εστιν η εκκλησια25 ης εγενομην εγω διακονος κατα την οικονομιαν του θεου την δοθεισαν μοι εις υμας πληρωσαι τον λογον του θεου26 το μυστηριον το αποκεκρυμμενον απο των αιωνων και απο των γενεων νυνι δε εφανερωθη τοις αγιοις αυτου27 οις ηθελησεν ο θεος γνωρισαι τις ο πλουτος της δοξης του μυστηριου τουτου εν τοις εθνεσιν ος εστιν χριστος εν υμιν η ελπις της δοξης28 ον ημεις καταγγελλομεν νουθετουντες παντα ανθρωπον και διδασκοντες παντα ανθρωπον εν παση σοφια ινα παραστησωμεν παντα ανθρωπον τελειον εν χριστω ιησου29 εις ο και κοπιω αγωνιζομενος κατα την ενεργειαν αυτου την ενεργουμενην εν εμοι εν δυναμει